Snap switch



E. M. JOHNSON SNAP SWITCH Filed July 14 1920 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

ERNEST M. JOHNSON, OF JERSEY CITY,

FORD, OF'DEAL, NEW JERSEY; HENRIETTA TRIX F SAID EDWARD V. HARTFORD, DECEASED.

SNA? swITcn.

application mea my 14, 1920. serial m. 39am?.

To all whom z' ma concern:

Be it known t-hat ERNEST M. JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanisms more particularly adapted for 1o snap switches and seeks the provision of a snap switch which can be manipulated by an extremely small force operating through a short distance, to open or close the circuit across power suppl mains.

Another object o my invention is to provide in such a switch a mechanism in which the movable contact is held in one or the other of its operating positions b a spring whose tension does not vary ast e operating parts ofthe structure move about.

In the drawings accompanying thisv speciication and forming part of it, I have illustrated one particular embodiment of my invention as designed for single pole, single throw operation. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved switch and Fig. 2, is a side elevation thereof.

' single stationary switch contact is shown a0 contact at 128. Both'of these contacts and all other elements of the structure are supported from an insulating slab 129. An arm or link 130 is provided` for operating the switch. It may be connected at I5 the end not shown to any suitable mechanism having requisite movement.

The arm 136 lis connected to the short arm 131 of a bell-crank operating member 131 bifurcated as shown in Fig. 2. The

other arm 132 of this bell-crank member is much longer and is laterally offset as shown at 133. The'end of this arm remote from the pivot is provided with downwardly bent parts 134, in which are mounted screws 135,

I; adapted to be locked in place by means of lock-nuts 136. The bell-crank member 131 is pivoted at 137 on a fixed member- 138 supported on slab 129 and which is provided with a horizontal pin 139 grooved as shown.

Intermediate the ends of the arm 132 there is supported on the slab 129 a C-shaped member 149, open at 150 and bifurcated both at 151 and 152, above the opening 150, and at 153 and 154 below the opening.

at 127 and the cooperating movable.

Each of these pairs of bifurcations supports knife-edged member 155. These two members form bearings for an intermediate U- shaped member or contact manipulator 156 having arms 157 and 158fto cooperate therewith. vThe lower arm 158 of this U-shaped member is located between the ends of the screws 135, carried by parts 134 of the bellcrank 131 so that lost motion is provided for. A spring 159 is fastened to the central portion of the U-shaped member 156 and hooked in a groove ofpost 139. This spring will bia's the member 156 to one side or to the other side of its dead-center.A The memyber 156 is held to a limited range of movement by means of adjustable stops 160 and 161. The central portion of the U-shaped member 156 has fastened on each side thereof the Z-shaped arms 162 and 163, thereby providing bifurcations. The outer end of each of these Z-shapedmembers 162 and 163 is provided with adjustable stops 164 and 165.

The movable switch contact 128 is pivoted on knife-edged members 166 which are supported in bifurcations 167 and 168, 169 and 170 in a member 174 similar in shape to 149 and in a `fashion similar to the U-shaped member 157. The central part of the contact 128 has a tongue 128' which projects to the left and is between the ends of the stops 164. and 165. The switch 128 is biased to one side orto the other side of deadcenter bymeans of a spring 171 connected to the central part of the switch member and to a post 172 carried on the insulating slab 129. connected to the C-shaped member 17 4 which supports the switch element. The other bindingl post 175 for supporting the fixed contact is provided with means to -,adjust the position of the fixed Contact.y ,In this case a screw 176 provided with a. lock nut 177 is employed.v The extent of movement of the switch element 128 in the opposite direction is limited by means of an adjust- A suitable binding post 173 is.

able stop 178'similar to the aforedescribed means except that it isrnot electrically connected to a. lead.

The arm' 130 operates the bell-crank arm.

131', the'long arm of which is downwardl bent at 134, being there Vprovided with a justable stops 135. This bell-crank arm will 1110143` back and forth in accordance with the movements imparted tothe arm 130. It must move, however, a finite distance before the stops 135 will touch the lower portion :158 of the U-shaped member 156 and force said member past dead-center, so

thatthe Vcoiled spring 159 will snap the member 156 quickly against the limiting stop. The member 156 does not itself make electrical contact to open or close the circuit, but it is provided with adjustable stops 165 which engage with the tongue 128 on the *movable switch element 128 to pull it to one tween, means to bias the intermediate memvber to one side orto the other side of its pivot, contact mechanism operated by the lntermediate member, and fixed stops independent of the contact mechanism for limiting the movement of. the intermediate member and holding the intermediate member out of contact with the operating member while the operating member `is at rest.

2. In an electric switch, a pivotally mounted operating member, a pivotally vmounted intermediate member, spaced apart portions of the first member embracing the second member to provide lost motion therebetween, means to bias the intermediate member to one side or to the other side of its ivot, contact mechanism operated by the intermediate member, and fixed stops independent of the contact mechanism for limiting the movement of the intermediate member and holding the intermediate member out of contact with the operating member whiletbe operating member is at rest.

3. An electric switch having a fixed contact, a stop, a support, knife-edged members carried bythe support, a U-shaped movable contact pivotally mounted on the ends of -the U on said knife-edged members, a spring having one end fixed and the other end attached to the middle of the U, said spring urging the movable contact toward the stop or toward the fixed cotact, a binding post on the support whereby the knife-edged members are current carrying, and means to move the movable contact past deadcenter.

4. An electric switch having a fixed contact, a stop, a support, pivot members car- `ried by the support, a U-shaped movable the U on said pivot members, a spring having one end fixed and the other end attached to the middle of the U, said spring urging the movable contact toward the. stop or toward the fixed contact, and a binding post on the support whereby the pivot members are current carrying.

6. In an electric switch, a pivoted contact, an oscillatory spring connected to the contact to hold it to one side or to the other side of its dead-center, a pivoted manipulator for operating the contact, and an oscillatory spring holding the mani ulator at one side or at the other side o its deadcenter. y

7. In an electric switch, a pivoted contact, an oscillatory spring' connected to the contact to hold it to one side or to the other Side of its dead-center, a pivoted manipulator for operating the contact, and an oscillatory spring center, both said pivoted elements being U-shaped and pivoted at the ends of the U, said spring lying intermediate the respective pivots.

8. In an electrict switch, a pivoted contact, an oscillatory spring connected to the contact to hold it to one side or to the other side of its dead-center, stops for thepivoted contact, a pivoted manipula-tor for'operating the contact, an oscillatory spring holding the manipulator at one side or the other side of its dead-center and stops for the manipulator, both said pivoted elements being U-shaped and pivoted at the ends of the U, said springs lying intermediate their respective pivots.

9. In an electric switch, an insulating base, a fixed contact, a movable contact, a stop, a support carried by the base, knifeedged members on the' support to provide pivots for the movable contact, a, second Support on the base also provided with knifeedged members, a contact operating member pivoted on the last mentioned knife-edged members, and two springs one of which is connected to the contact operating member to snap it away from dead-center, the other spring being connected 'to the movable contact to snap it away from dead-center.

holding the manipulator at one side or at the other side of its dead- 10. In an electric switch, an insulating base, a. fixed contact, a movable contact, a

. stop, a support carried by the base, pivots Y base, a fixed contact, a movable contact, a stop, a support carried by the base, kmfe- 'edged members on -the support to provide pivots for the movable contact, a second support on the base also provided with knifeedged members, a contact operating member pivoted on the last mentioned knife-edged members, and two springs one of which is connected to the contact operating member to snap it away-from dead-center, the other spring being connected to the movable contact to snap it away from dead-center, the contactoperating member during its movement engaging the movable contact to snap it away from the fixed contact against the stop or vice-versa.v

12. In an electric switch, an insulating base, a fixed contact, a movable contact, a

. stop, a support carried by the-base, pivots on the support for the movable contact, a second support on the base also' provided with pivots, a contact operating member pivoted on the last mentioned pivots, andtwo springs one of which is connected to the contact operating member to snaphit away from dead-center, the other spring being connected to the contact -to snap it away from dead-center, the contact operating member during its movement enga ng the contact to snap it away from the xed contact and against the stop or vice-versa.

13. A device for manipulating an oscillating-snap switch-contact comprising a U- shaped ends, a spring connected at lone end to the middle of the U, a fixed support for the other end of the spring located .so that the axis of the spring is adapted to be at one side `or the other side of the pivotal mounting of the U-shaped member, bifurcations on the U-shaped mdmber on'the sidethereof member pivotally-"mounted at its remote from the support, said bifurcations being adapted to embrace A' the oscillating contact.

14. A devicel for manipulating an oscillating-snap switch-contact comprising aU- shaped member pivotally mounted at its .ends, a spring connected at'one end tothe middle of the U, a fixed sup rt for -the other end of the spring located)0 axis of the spring is adapted to be at one side or the other side of the pivotal` mounting of the U-shaped member, bifurcations on the U-shaped member on the side thereof remotefrom the support, said bifurcations being adapted to embrace the oscillating contact, and adjustable stops on the bifurcations adapted to engage the switch contact.

15. A device for manipulating an-oscillating-snap switch-contact comprising a U- shaped member pivotally mounted at its ends, a spring connected at one end to the middle ofthe U, a fixed, sup ort for the other end of the spring located) so that the axis of the spring is adapted to beat one side or the other side of the pivotal mounting of the U-shaped member, bifurcations on the U-shaped member on the side thereof remote from the support, said bifurcations being adaptedto embrace the oscillating contact, adjustable stops on the bifurcations adapted to engage the switch contact and adjustable stops for the U- shaped member.

16. .A device for manipulating an oscillating-snap switch-contact comprising aU- shaped member pivotally mounted at its ends, a spring connected at one end to the middle of the U, a fixed support for the other end of the spring located so that the axis of the .spring is adapted to be at one side -or the other side of;` the pivotal mounting of the U-shaped member, bifurcations on the .U-shaped member on the side `thereof remote from the support, said bifurcations being adapted to embrace the oscillating contact, adjustable stops on .thebifurcations adapted to engage the switch contact, adjustable stops for the U-shaped member, and a-pivotally 4mounted member having stops engageable with the U-shaped member. v n

i ERNEST M. .'JoHNsoN.

so that the n 

